Causes of Paget's disease of bone

Bone cells regenerate in a similar way to skin – old bone is removed and replaced by new bone. This is known as bone remodelling.

Two cells are responsible for this:

osteoclasts – cells that absorb old bone

osteoblasts – cells that make new bone

In Paget's disease of bone, something goes wrong with the osteoclast cells and they start to absorb bone at a much faster rate than usual.

The osteoblasts then try to produce new bone more quickly, but the new bone is larger and weaker than normal.

It's not clear what triggers this, but you're at a higher risk if you have a family history of Paget's disease of bone. You may inherit a genetic fault that means you're much more likely to develop the condition.

Treatments for Paget's disease of bone

There's currently no cure for Paget's disease of bone, but treatment can help relieve the symptoms.

If you don't have any symptoms, your doctor may suggest keeping an eye on your condition and delaying treatment until any problems occur.

The main treatments are:

bisphosphonate medication – medicines that help control bone regeneration